I think they preferred doing a deal now rather than having the questions all year and dealing with all that BS. I don't think it's a terrible deal for them, but time will tell. All depends if Lamb pans out to the expectation of a year ago, when he was projected pretty high. Martin helps with the scoring for this season.

Essentially Lamb, 2 x 1st round picks & 1 x 2nd round pick for Harden (Martin is a rental player for OKC and they dumped some backup contracts). Assuming Houston extends him for max money, that's a lot to giveup for Harden! He was awful in the playoffs last year and seems to prefer being a super 6th man to being 'the man' with all the pressure on him. Huge gamble for Houston and a great haul for OKC!

Essentially Lamb, 2 x 1st round picks & 1 x 2nd round pick for Harden (Martin is a rental player for OKC and they dumped some backup contracts). Assuming Houston extends him for max money, that's a lot to giveup for Harden! He was awful in the playoffs last year and seems to prefer being a super 6th man to being 'the man' with all the pressure on him. Huge gamble for Houston and a great haul for OKC!

Essentially Lamb, 2 x 1st round picks & 1 x 2nd round pick for Harden (Martin is a rental player for OKC and they dumped some backup contracts). Assuming Houston extends him for max money, that's a lot to giveup for Harden! He was awful in the playoffs last year and seems to prefer being a super 6th man to being 'the man' with all the pressure on him. Huge gamble for Houston and a great haul for OKC!

Harden was awful in the finals. He was sub par in the conference semifinals, too. Otherwise Harden played like the true all star he is in the first round and in the conference finals where he shot 60% from 3 point range.

A few years from now this will be considered to be a lopsided deal of epic proportion right up there with the Garnett trade to the Celtics and Vince Carter to the Nets. The team that gets the most talented player in these deals almost always comes out on top.

Wasn't James harden a restricted free agent?! wouldn't have been better for OKC to wait it out until the end of the season where they were in a better position to win the championship?! I mean its a good deal for the future for OKC but they could have let this played out longer.

On the other hand I don't blame them, kudos for shipping a guy out who wanted alot more then he was worth.

You gotta commend OKC for their balls, and skills. Great trade for the future, Harden was a good 6th man and had a great personality. But, with Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka getting big money deals, he was set to get one too. And that would cripple the rest of their team in the future, now they get a chance to bring other good young scorers off the bench, get draft picks and build for the future. Harden wasn't an integral part of their team, and could easily (not fully, but still pretty well) be replaced by both Lamb and KMart this year, and their draft picks to come will be insane considering they are a championship contender. It's a great move for them. How many contending teams can have the luxury of having multiple top draft picks TO COME?

Martin can be resigned with Bird Rights at likely nearly half the cost of Harden - all the while Lamb is developing.

They have added some nice assets as well in the picks.

Presti is incredible.

Houston essentially traded Martin, Lamb, Lowry, Lakers 1st round pick, Bobcats 2nd round pick for Harden, Cook, Aldrich, and Hayward. I dunno...... Harden is a good player but that is a lot of assets to give up.

I think that many people are really under valuing the chemistry Durant, Westbrook, and Harden have (or "had" I should say). They were a championship caliber team. They played together their whole careers. They know each other's game. Not only that, but they matched up well with the Lakers. I still thought they were the best team in the West, even with the Lakers on the block. Why not wait the year? I dont think this Thunder team will be better than last years.

Sure, Harden had a tough finals, but people forget he was one of the main reasons they beat San Antonio. I dont know if I give up a guy I know can play for Lamb and a couple of late lottery picks (I would guess K-Mart a rental).

This trade is more about winning in a few years (when the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, and Heat are all older). In that aspect, they set themselves up nicely, but I do not know if I would ruin the chemistry of a championship team now (I mean these guys, if they stuck together, would have been in the championship conversation for the next 5 years at least), for a better shot down the road.

I think that many people are really under valuing the chemistry Durant, Westbrook, and Harden have (or "had" I should say). They were a championship caliber team. They played together their whole careers. They know each other's game. Not only that, but they matched up well with the Lakers. I still thought they were the best team in the West, even with the Lakers on the block. Why not wait the year? I dont think this Thunder team will be better than last years.

Sure, Harden had a tough finals, but people forget he was one of the main reasons they beat San Antonio. I dont know if I give up a guy I know can play for Lamb and a couple of late lottery picks (I would guess K-Mart a rental).

This trade is more about winning in a few years (when the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, and Heat are all older). In that aspect, they set themselves up nicely, but I do not know if I would ruin the chemistry of a championship team now (I mean these guys, if they stuck together, would have been in the championship conversation for the next 5 years at least), for a better shot down the road.

Absolutely thats a big part of this. This is Presti's MO. Patience and long term sustainability.

And its not like Presti sacrificied any chance of winning a championship along the way. Martin isn't as good as Harden, but he's not exactly a nobody, and I could see him being better suited as a 6th man then a starter. Plus when you look at how signing Harden at anything less than a discount would add some financial difficulties for the team, while at the same time adding Lamb + picks offers some cheap long term assets.

Presti made OKCs road to a championship harder this year (in a year that was going to be hard as it was) for an opportunity to make it easier to win one (or multiples) in the future.

This is the impressive thing about Presti and OKC. He can not only recognize talent and consistently find value for that talent, but he recognizes his own talent (drafting). He plays to his strengths that also happen to fit the need of his market (small market team).

Absolutely thats a big part of this. This is Presti's MO. Patience and long term sustainability.

And its not like Presti sacrificied any chance of winning a championship along the way. Martin isn't as good as Harden, but he's not exactly a nobody, and I could see him being better suited as a 6th man then a starter. Plus when you look at how signing Harden at anything less than a discount would add some financial difficulties for the team, while at the same time adding Lamb + picks offers some cheap long term assets.

Presti made OKCs road to a championship harder this year (in a year that was going to be hard as it was) for an opportunity to make it easier to win one (or multiples) in the future.

This is the impressive thing about Presti and OKC. He can not only recognize talent and consistently find value for that talent, but he recognizes his own talent (drafting). He plays to his strengths that also happen to fit the need of his market (small market team).

I just think that they had something very amazing (and rare) with Harden, Durant, and Westrbook. How often do you have three amazing scorers on one team without egos clashing? I would have kept those three together as long as possible.

I understand that they were in a tough position (being a small market team, having to give out 3 max contracts), but when you have a young championship calibre core, why not do your best to keep them together? Marc Stein (along with various other analysts and players) claim that this move is going to "shake up the locker room".